What Santa Cruz Property Managers Do For You – Stories from the Field with Mike

Our team at Portola Property Management is talented and efficient, and they manage to stay calm during emergencies. Today, we have another post in our Stories from the Field series that we think you will find – um, interesting.

Mike’s story is not something you want to experience at your own Santa Cruz rental property. But if you do, you know we’re here to help.

Mike and a Maintenance Emergency

My name is Mike and my favorite property management story was gross. It was gross, but it was funny and the most memorable thing that happened in my 20 years of professional experience.

I took an emergency maintenance call from an angry tenant who was yelling for help. This call came in during the middle of the night.

He was speaking incoherently and I remember him saying that if he was home at the time this happened and he was sitting on the toilet, he would have had a snake go right up my butt.

I was like – what?!?

He begged me to come to us house immediately and I explained it would be maintenance who was coming, not me. But he persisted, and I agreed to go the next morning.

This tenant was reasonable; we had a good relationship, so if he was upset, I wanted to help. I arrived at his apartment the next morning wondering what he was talking about with the snake and the toilet. Before arriving, I had looked at his account. This tenant had never called for maintenance before.

Not All Snakes are the Same

I didn’t immediately see anything when I walked into the house, so I began taking a look around.

In the bathroom, things began to make sense. Right in the middle of the toilet, and indeed in the place where he would be sitting if he needed to use the toilet, was a hole in the porcelain. It was a perfect circle. I had no idea what could have happened.

It turns out, maintenance had been called for the apartment next door. And because the toilets are side to side on either side of the shared wall, it was easy for this incident to occur. Evidently, the vendor had used a snake (the thing you use to unclog drains, not a reptile but a 50-foot snake) and put it through the drain. But, it didn’t go down the pipe. Instead, it ran across into our tenant’s toilet, piercing through the porcelain. The vendor probably kept shoving the snake down further and further. It went through the bathroom and into the hallway and into the family room.

Sewage lines were disrupted, so you can imagine everything that was all over the wall. There were feces on the walls, the carpets, and all over the bathroom.

It was really really gross.

Obviously, this was not an incident that the tenant could be held responsible for. We did everything we could to clean his apartment and replace things like towels and bath mats and toothbrushes.

If you have any questions about how we can help you and keep your tenants calm when bizarre things happen, please contact us at Portola Property Management. We’re here to help.

Portola Property Management is dedicated to the principle of equal access for people with disabilities in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and HUD guidelines. Please contact us at rentals@portolarentals.com or (831) 475-1355 should you have any questions, comments or concerns regarding any accessibility issues.

We are proud to share with you our very successful Pet Program!

I understand and agree that by applying for this property I will create a: (1) NO PET PROFILE, or (2) PET/ ANIMAL PROFILE by visiting: https://portolarentals.petscreening.com and pay the application processing fee. Application fee: $20 per pet/animal; tenants with no pets or service animals are free of charge. Your rental application with Portola Property Management will not be processed until this profile is complete. If approved as a tenant, a fee of $25/pet is due monthly with the rent payment.

Kathleen started this program to create more pet friendly housing for tenants, while also soothing any worries property owners may have about accepting pets.

We meet all pets before they move in. Upon approval, an additional $250 per pet is added to the tenant’s security deposit. Twice a year, a representative from Portola Property Management will complete a visual walkthrough of the home. The tenant fee for this is $50 per walkthrough at a total of $100 per year. It is VERY rare that we find any issues in the home, but if found, tenants must correct it at that time. When great tenants find great pet friendly housing, they tend to stay long term.

We take pride in offering about 50% pet friendly housing!

You can meet some of our furry tenants below.

￼￼Name: Charlie Tiger
Interests: Daily Siesta, performs head butt tricks, and enjoys the finer things in life such as Pate.

Name: Blue
Interests:play tug of war. Blue is social and happiest being the center of attention

Name: Guero

Name: Peanut Butter and Jelly
Interests: loves to cuddle up in a warm spot.

Name: Maggie
Interests: Where’s the bird…I love being active, running, retrieving, swimming, jumping you name it. I am most happy outside but enjoy curling up on my bed and relaxing at the end of a long day.

Name: Kale
Interests: Cuddle, Sleep, Run in the forest, and Sun Bathe on the beach.

Name: Daphne
Interests: Going for long walks on the beach, sleeping by the fire, listening to music.

Rental Criteria

Basic Criteria

Selection of a resident is based on income, credit, and tenant history or ownership. Each applicant must qualify individually based on references and credit, while the income requirement can be met as a household. Negative findings on one or more of the three areas can cause denial of an application. Denial of one application results in the denial of all applications.

Income

Monthly household gross income must equal three (3) times the stated monthly rent. PPM must be able to verify all income sources and reserves the right to disqualify applicants for failure to prove income and/or supply adequate documentation.

You are required to supply reasonable, reliable, and legal documentation on all income in either of the following forms:
Last two paycheck stubs.

Self-employed individuals must be verified through State, or Federal tax returns.

Credit

PPM obtains a credit report for all applicants, and does not accept copies of credit reports from applicants, no exceptions. Good credit is required. Negative credit reports can be grounds for denial of an application.

Outstanding bad debts being reported on credit report of more than $100.00 but less than $1,000.00 may be accepted with proper explanation and proof.

After a bankruptcy has been discharged, applicant must show six (6) months of positive established credit.

Rental History or Property Ownership

PPM requires a minimum of two (2) years of rental history and/or proof of homeownership. Negative references can be grounds for denial of an application.
All references must be third party and verifiable.
PPM will make a reasonable attempt to contact references provided. PPM reserves the right to decline tenancy based on inability to contact reference provided.

Responsibility of Applicant

It is the responsibility of the applicant to inquire from PPM about any information on the application that they do not understand.
If notified, it is the responsibility of the applicant to accept the offer to rent by submitting a holding deposit.

Automatic Denials

1) Giving false information is automatic grounds for denial.
2) Three (3) or more 3-Day Notices within a 12 month period will result in denial.
3) Two (2) or more NSF checks within a 12 month period will result in denial.
4) Rental history reflecting any unpaid past due rent will result in denial.
5) Rental history reflecting any property damage or disturbance will result in denial.
6) Any collection filed by a property management company or landlord will result in denial.
7) Any applicant with unlawful detainer action or eviction within the past three (3) years will be denied.
8) If unable to verify the income necessary to pay rent, applicant will be denied.
9) Excessive collections will result in denial.
10) Outstanding debt to property management or landlord will result in denial.
11) Any applicant with a bankruptcy not shown as discharged will be denied until shown otherwise.

I understand and agree that by applying for this property I will create a: (1) NO PET PROFILE, or (2) PET/ ANIMAL PROFILE by visiting: https://portolarentals.petscreening.com and pay the application processing fee. Application fee: $20 per pet/animal; tenants with no pets or service animals are free of charge. Your rental application with Portola Property Management will not be processed until this profile is complete. If approved as a tenant, a fee of $25/pet is due monthly with the rent payment.

After Hours: Scuba diving, RV camping, and enjoying the local music scene with my wife & friends.

Steve Thompson

Construction Specialist

Duties: Construction and maintenance

Experience: Over 30 years of general building construction and maintenance.

After Hours: Spending time with Heidi, enjoying life’s adventures along the way. Surfing, Biking, Scuba Diving, Camping, and traveling.

Sue Gerwin

Client Care / Office Manager

Duties: Provide Excellent Customer Service and Office Support

Experience: 11 years in customer service, admin support positions, 10 years as business owner and operations manager, 10 years experience in commerical and residential leasing.

After Hours: Cooking & Camping.

Michael Catalano

President

Duties: Strategic & Leadership Development, Operations Management.

Goal: To provide excellent customer service, to manage properties efficiently, to maximize the investors return, to provide tenants with quality housing.
Mike grew up in real estate and property management and learned at the age of 10 how to take a maintenance call. Mike has over 20 years’ professional experience in all facets of real estate and property management.

He is currently the CEO of NextGen Property Ventures, Inc., with offices in Roseville, CA & Real Estate Connections in Los Gatos, both real estate investment and property management firms. Mike sits on the boards of Fourandhalf, an internet marketing company specializing in property management and of HappyCo, a mobile application for property inspections. Mike is a sought after industry speaker on the topics of property management firm acquisitions, real estate investments, and real estate marketing best practices. He is a member of NAR (National Association of Realtors) and CAR (California Association of Realtors), and NAPRM (National Association of Residential Property Managers).

After Hours: Mike grew up in Saratoga and has family ties to Santa Cruz. Mike is married with 2 children and in his “free time”, he enjoys golf, coaching his kids’ sports teams, and relaxing with his family.

• We cannot accept applications until everyone 18 and up in your party has attended a showing of the property.

Once you have completed these steps, you can provide all of the following online for each resident who is 18 and up by clicking on “Apply Now” on the property listing

• An Application
• Proof of income
• Copy of Photo ID
• Payment for the non-refundable $45 application fee
• [If you are unable to submit an application online, please notify our office at time of setting up showing]

Please allow 24-48 hours for the processing of an application (additional time may be needed during the busy season or if references do not return calls quickly).

We may receive multiple applications for this property. We do not necessarily select the first application submitted. Selection of a resident is based upon better credit history, rental references, Proof of Income, Number and type of pets if allowed, and Move-in date.

Next Steps:

1. You will hear from us whether your application is approved or denied.

2. If your application was in good standing, but another application was stronger, you can apply your application towards any of our other properties for 30 days for free (you will still need to attend a showing).

3. If you are offered to rent a property, you will need to turn in a Holding Deposit within 48 hours to secure it in the form of a cashier’s check or money order. This is always in the amount of a half month’s rent made out to PPM and is fully applied towards your move in funds.

4. By your established move in date, you will have started any necessary utilities, submitted proof of renter’s insurance, signed your lease, turned in your remaining move in funds, and can pick up keys! At this point we will have already completed a report of the property and you will have the opportunity to add any comments you would like; we do not do a walkthrough of the property with you.